Gaming the sytem
by Different Dimension Demon
Summary: The world as we know it is a true thing right? Up is up, down is down, blue is blue and left is left- right? What if you were absolutrly one hundred percent wrong and just like money our reality & history was susceptible to shaped by the person with the most stock and asset? I guess this is where I tell you my story. My name is Naruto but you can call me Prime Asset. T fot now


"Money is a fundemental asset understood in every facet of our society. It drives the economy. It enables the axis of the world to turn. Yet the value of money is subjective. One day its everything and something you can't live without. Other days its not worth the paper stock its printed on."

The students of the lecture hall groaned having dreaded this lesson for the last three years.

"Can anyone tell me exactly why money is subjective in regards to the survival of a ninja village like Konoha?" the instuctor, a tan skin man in a standard chunin uniform with a scar across the bridge of his nose, asked. Looking around the lecture hall he noticed no one raise their hand. He didn't like drawing the short straw of teaching the Economics 101 class but it had to be done.

In the back of the lecture a young man stood up with a stony expression. Dressed in a 'Kill me I'm right here!' orange jumpsuit he looked ridiculous and knew it but making the best out of his financial situation he ignored the sniggering of his classmates as he began to give his answer. "The yen is as susceptible to inflation or deflation of value just like any ware or good is. Depending on the regional economy, the strength of the market and any number of other mitigating X-factors mission payments are not always ideal to be paid in paper money" he said with a sour glimmer crossing his eyes. "For example, during The Third Shinobi War the economy was stuck in a war time rollercoaster that all paper resources were being used to make paper bombs, fuinjutsu tags and maps to provide regiments navigating in enemy terrtory a way to get home, get in and out to complete their missions or not get killed."

The instructor was a little shocked at the, very slightly, thorough explanation. "Very go-"

"Pardon sensei but I'm not finished yet. In lieu of accepting printed money that was used by civilians, payments for missions were accepted in other forms that were more valuable than printed cash. These payments ranged from trade agreements with neighboring villages to supply much needed materials for the war efforts, metals to forge weapons & armor plates to slip under vests for the ninia fighting the enemy forces and certainly most valuable at the time- gem stones or mineral deposit rights. Unlike printed money whose value was depenedent on so many X-factors, mineral deposits and gem stones have very static value no matter where you go" the boy continued ignoring the shocked looks. "Once the war was over the stores of gems and the rights to the mineral deposits were sold for their monetary value in addition to various Lords, Nobles & the Daimyou infusing money back in. That stabilized the economy giving the yen its strength back." The boy sat down leaning back in his chair, blue eyes rimmed with gold glaring down at the other students. "The value of money is not to be taken at face value like a bunch of plebian buffoons. There is reprecussion and boons that grant it the strength of being valued or tear the earth out from under its feet making it worth less then the paper its printed on."

The instructor took a minute to compose himself before clearing his throat. "That is a very good explanation and supporting example mr.."

"Uzumaki. Naruto Uzumaki" the boy said with a grimace.

* * *

"So Iruka, you ready to become an alcoholic? I heard you drew the short straw about teaching the economics course this semester" one of the other chunin teachers said spotting the brown haired man in the teachers lounge.

Iruka frowned at how the question was posed while he swirled his tea mug a little bit almost absently. "Something interesting happened earlier that I wasn't expecting from anyone short of an elder Nara" he said tapping the table top with his free hand unconsciously. "If I hadn't seen the notebook after the lecture I would have suspected it had been copied from a civilian higher education text but it was.. Impressive to say the least."

The man who posed the first question, a silver haired man who appeared to be in his mid to late twenties, raised an eyebrow at the comment. "What happened that was so impressive? Everyone hates teaching Economics 101. Every student here is training to be a ninja, not a stock broker or a banker. Economics isn't a skill we're going to reliably use in day-to-day life. Its not like knowing what different business strategies are is going to save my life if I'm face down an enemy coming at me wjth a sword" the man said rolling his eyes.

"You had to be there to hear it Mizuki. So I give the standard first day 'Why is a subjective thing like money a neccesary thing for a ninja village to survive' speech right? No one answers and a kid stands up in the back before he begins to go into an explanation that an elder Nara might give one of their younger clan members. He goes on to say explain using the Third War as an example why money is subjective and supplemented it how money isn't always the best way to sustain the life blood of the village. I mean this kid had to do some serious reading to be able to point how things like trade agreements, shipments of metal to make weapons & armor plates to keep ninja forces alive and even gems or mineral deposit rights were used to supplement the lack of paper money" Iruka said.

Mizukis eyebrow was nearly in his hairline at the explanation given to him. "For an academy student that is pretty inpressive. Hell, I don't think most people would care enough to be so thorough for such a small question" he said. Even with his lack of interest in the intracecy of monetary understanding he had to give the kid, whoever they were, props. "So who is the wonder kid who gave that answer? I'm guessing it was the Nara heir Shikamaru" he said tossing out a guess.

"No, surprisingly it wasn't. Tell me Mizuki, what do you know about a kid by the name of Naruto Uzumaki?" Iruka asked.

The silver haired chunin scowled at the question. "Uzumaki? Hes a failure of a student. This is his last year to pass the graduation exam before hes washed out of the program. Whats he got to do with anything?" Mizuki asked.

"Naruto Uzumaki was the one responsible for giving the explanation I just told you" Iruka said with a neutral look daring Mizuki to call him a liar. "I don't know what has been done for him to be deemed a failure that hes failed the last two graduation exams but his cold grasp of what makes the value of money worthless or valuable is not something that I want to be on the wrong side of."

* * *

"What do you have to report Midas?"

From the shadows of a young man in his mid teens stepped into the light dressed in a suit, the jacket open revealing a vest over his white shirt and black slacks, and a mask covering his face looked to the only other person in the room. "Is the room secure Danzo-sama?" Midas asked, their voice distorted by a mechanical distorter.

Danzo Shimura grimaced as he tapped his cane three times. "Of course, do you think me a fool?" the retired shinobi asked with a glare from his one visible eye. "Considering the severity of the situation at hand I have personally ensured this location was unable to be bugged by any method."

Midas let out a dark chuckle, the distorted laugh that echoed out sounding darker than his actual chuckle. "I take you for many things Danzo Shimura but fool is not one such title I would be stupid enough to slap you with" the young man said as he removed his mask. As it left his face a deathly pale skin was revealed and dark pink bordering on purprle hair spilled cruel golden eyes looked directly at the retired ninja before him. "I bear news from the Prime Asset. Your suspicions about the coup being planned by the Uchiha is true. The Prime Asset had passed this to me for you." Midas pulled out a scroll from his pocket and held it out. "They said you would find it most enlightening."

"When is this plan of theirs to take place?" Danzo asked taking the scroll. His eyes darkened as he unrolled it and began to quickly read the contents. "The Asset is certain of all this?"

"One hundred percent. They were there in the meeting when it was suggested by the Elder Uchihas and given the greenlight by Uchiha Fugaku the clan head. Once a force of Uchiha has successfully taken the attention of ANBU to quell the riot they have prepared as a diversion a small force of them specialized in assassination plans to off you, the Sandaime and the other advisors to seat an Uchiha Hokage. After that banishing the councils that have helped govern this village and establing law that passes the seat of Hokage patriarchally is childs play" Midas said as he clasped his hands behind his back.

Danzos grimace deepened at the news. While he may he a warmonger and corrupt in his own ways there was only so much a man like him would bear. "This troubling news Midas. For such heracy to be allowed-"

"Ah ah ah Danzo-sama, don't even ask" Midas said with a wide almost sinister smile. "The District and The Bank care not for the affairs of non-clients but you, you are a special case. A Deal broker that has earned us all steady returns and thus the executive have granted you your boon of information when it is most crucial. We are not fighters Danzo-sama, that is the duty of the Entres. Now that you have your information, your tithe is due." A gloved hand was held out expectantly. "The Bank executives are patient but if you keep trying to renege on the contractual agreement... Your soul shall be ripped to shreds and fed to the Bank Guardian" Midas said with a crazed gleam in his eyes.

Danzos eye narrowed remembering the one time he had seen the Bank Guardian within the District when his contract was struck with the Bank executives. The monster guarding the vault had made him, the monster of many peoples worst nightmares, shiver with unrestrained fear when he had seen it. With a singular motion tapped his cane in a pattern before a female ANBU wearing a mask with the kanji for 'ROOT' carved into the mask appeared kneeling beside him. "The scrolls" he said never taking his eyes off Midas after burning the scroll to ash containing the report. Accepting six scrolls, three edged in a golden color and three in silver, he noted the annotations on the front to make sure it added up properly; the last thing he needed was to have the Bank and District send Midas to clean up an "accounting error" by murdering his agents for short changing them on his tithes.

Midas' smile seemed to grow as he stepped forward and in a blink he & the scrolls were gone, not so much as a trace he had ever been there. Yes, the Prime Asset would be VERY happy about this.

Danzo disappeared a minute after Midas with a troubled yet angry expression. There was much to plan and so little time to do so. Organizing a black op to nip the problem in the bud would require some very delicate manipulation to be done very carefully. The only question was how much capital and material to expend on forcing whom to do the job.

Clear across Konoha in the slums gold rimmed blue eyes opened with a dark satisfied smile. Something was in the air and though Naruto Uzumaki knew not what it was, he knew it was a bad omen for someone. "While its not a face card, someone else is getting the shaft instead of me. I'll take it" he said lifitng his eyes to take in the blood red moon glaring down over the village.

"Under the blood moon

Under the strain

I find the satisfaction of others in pain.

Gather thy mob

Tighten thine noose

Thrash in the wind and let the corpse die again~"

Naruto let out a demented laugh as the darkness of the night seemed to overtake the moon like a blood colored eye winking at his on the spot made up song. Sinking inside to his pathetic hovel of a student apartment he took his spot to rest for the days to come. He may not know what ill fate was to befall some poor soul but he would rest soundly tonight. Only a suicidal fool would dare break into his home when night fell. With his back to the wall in his bedroom he closed his eyes to sleep letting the sounds of crime and the loud grunts of the whores & their costumers lull him to the land of nod.

* * *

A/N: so I been on a binge recently of watching C and thought myself 'Hey! This would work really well kinda sorted witb the morality of Naruto universe!' so with the help of my regular beta this idea was begun to flush. Maybe it'll go somewhere, maybe it won't but I'd get it down before I lost it entirely. Let me know what you think about it.


End file.
